Volunteer mentors are the heart of our community
Could you support a young refugee into work?
What is a volunteer mentor?
Our volunteer mentors are matched with a participant on our 2-months Risers Programme or ur 6-months Breadwinners Programme. Risers are young people (aged 16-24) who are seeking asylum in the UK (but have not been given settled refugee status). Breadwinners are refugees who can live and work in the UK but are struggling to access opportunities.
Most mentors will work with our Risers as this is a larger programme with a quicker turnover, but our Breadwinners also have mentors.
Mentors support our young people to gain work experience at one of our weekend market stalls. They also lead weekly 1:1 mentoring sessions focussed on developing their mentee’s employability skills, helping them to think about their plans for the future (career and otherwise) and building social connections in their local community. Lots of our mentors and mentees stay in contact long after the programme finishes.
What are the time commitments?
You would work with your mentee at one of our markets every weekend (Saturday OR Sunday) for 2 hours. You would also have a weekly 1 hour mentoring session with your mentee, either in person or online, to support their career development.
You would be expected to keep in touch with your mentee during the week via phone call or text, to make sure they know where and when to go to the market and mentoring sessions.
“Having a mentor has helped me feel more confident because I could ask questions. I felt supported because my mentor motivated me and she taught me new phrases. It was nice to have conversations together about my future and how to succeed.”
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for motivated individuals who feel they can act as an employment mentor to a young person who hasn't had any work experience in the UK. You don’t need any special qualifications or requirements, just general knowledge of working in the UK and a passion for supporting young people.
This is a great opportunity be part of a fun and friendly community and to join the motivated and inspiring Breadwinners team. If you're looking for a challenging but rewarding role where you have the opportunity to inspire and guide a young person, we would love to hear from you.
Meet and hear from some of our wonderful volunteer mentors below!
Feeling inspired? Join us by applying today!
The Risers Programme runs every three months while the Breadwinners Programme recruits mentors on a rolling basis as we hire new Market Stall Managers.
CURRENT PROGRAMME DATES (Updated 19/01/24)
London:
Risers: the next cohort will be taking place from late April, so we will be interviewing mentors a few weeks before. If you have already applied, we will be in touch around then!
Breadwinners: accepting on a rolling basis - we are currently looking for mentors!
Brighton:
Risers: the next cohort will be starting late April, so we will be interviewing mentors from early March!
Breadwinners: accepting on a rolling basis.
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